


The beast is at peace

by Wefwar



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: F/F, Reunions, Self-Sacrifice, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27160091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wefwar/pseuds/Wefwar
Summary: Dani's thoughts and feelings as she decides to sacrifice herself for her most important person.And what follows after.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 16
Kudos: 174





	1. Chapter 1

Fog fell from Dani's eyes as she gasped in a rapid breath, her sight focusing on the hand in front of her. It took her another deep breath to realize it was her own hand, the ring symbolizing her devotion to Jamie shining slightly on her finger in the faint moonlight. 

To Jamie, whose neck she almost had in her grasp. Who with a single movement, she could've hurt, killed. The petrifying need to squeeze the delicate skin, to feel the woman in front of her struggle for breath as she took her life was clouding her mind.

She jumped back, almost falling off the bed, and dug her fingernails into her own palms, trying to use the pain to clear her thoughts. She felt Viola scratching at the back of her mind, trying to get out of the memory she was tucked away in, the only one she had- lying at the bottom of the lake and wandering around the mansion, murdering anyone she laid her hands on. She forcefully pushed her back, knowing that this time it wouldn't last for long. Viola has had enough. She'd been patient, giving Dani time to enjoy her life with Jamie. But the lake was calling her. She needed to go back.

Dani felt tears well up in her eyes as she stared at her wife's delicate features, barely marked with any wrinkles. They had a good run, longer than she'd expected but still too short. She loved Jamie. She wanted to be with her for the rest of her life, but it seemed like that end has come. 

She leaned forward, pressing the gentlest of kisses on her lover's forehead, careful not to startle her. Jamie knew her well enough to figure out what she's decided after one glance at Dani's face. She couldn't let the brunette stop her. 

But she also couldn't just leave. Jamie deserved an explanation, even though she knew why Dani would have abandoned her in the middle of the night. 

The blonde got up, cringing when Viola cried in her mind to let her finish the job, and walked out of the bedroom. She picked a piece of paper and a pen and came back to Jamie, unable to give up the last few moments with her. She started writing, staring at the love of her life, and feeling tears smoothly slide down her cheeks. 

_Jamie, my love..._   
_I cannot stress enough how much I love you. For the last few years, I've been trying to show that to you, and I hope it worked. I hope you know you mean the world to me._   
_And because of that, I have to go. I need to let the beast in the jungle rest. I can't bear the thought of her hurting you, my most important person._   
_Love you always,_   
_Dani_

She folded it, feeling its' weight as if it was much heavier than a regular piece of paper, and put it on her own nightstand. She thought about her pillow, but Jamie was all over the bed when she slept, and she probably would've crushed the note, losing it in between the sheets. Dani had to stifle a sob at the thought of never waking with the weight of Jamie on top of her again, not feeling her warmth seep through her skin on one of those lazy Sunday mornings. She gritted her teeth, slowly sliding off the mattress, and inhaled shakily. 

One last time, she took in everything that was Jamie. Her dark hair, scattered on the fair pillow, small smile slightly raising the corners of her mouth, eyes moving slowly under her eyelids as she dreamed. 

The walk to the door was excruciating. The apartment was so filled with various memories of them together that it felt as if she was walking through her own mind. But her mind was not so pleasant. It was slowly being overtaken by Viola, whose thoughts were morbid. 

Dani took her bag, making sure her wallet and documents were inside and made her way to the door. She opened it and walked over the threshold, taking one last whiff of the smell that was home and love. She quietly closed the door behind her, turning her key in the lock, and put her forehead against it. The strength she needed for simply leaving the apartment was astronomical as if she had to fight with invisible chains pulling her back to her home, to Jamie. But she powered through the weakness. She needed to do it. 

The journey to the airport, the long flight, even taking a cab to the dreaded manor felt like a dream. She couldn't fully recall doing any of it when she stood at the lake, staring into its' unclear surface. The moon reflected in it like a giant guardian, the only witness to what was about to go down.

She felt the calling, even though she didn't want to, the need to walk into the icy waters was overwhelming. She remembered the last time she stood there, safe in Jamie's arms, holding shivering, but alive Flora tightly to her chest. Now Flora didn't even know who she was. But that was for the better. It was enough that all the grownups had to carry that burden, Flora didn't need it. 

But aside from the colossal relief, there was one more thing she felt that night. Viola's icy fingers clenching around her mind and heart. The hollowness the ghost felt. It was then that she understood. At some point, she would have to come back to the waters and return Viola to her asylum. 

That was the time. 

A step and her shoe were in the dark water, which immediately started soaking through the material. 

Another one and the water was sloshing around her ankles, sending shivers down her spine. 

The moon hid behind one of the clouds, as if not wanting to see what she was doing. 

She kept on walking, feeling the muddy bottom underneath her feet and water soothingly closing around her body as if wanting to make her feel welcome. Viola's presence at the back of her head started being more persistent. She wanted her to go quicker.

Dani thought about Jamie, about all the years they'd had together, all the memories they'd created, and how much more there could've been. Even though she knew there was no chance of them growing old together, a small part of her hoped there was. That Viola would simply remain hidden for her entire life and then pass away with her. 

The water reached her neck. That was it, no turning back. Up to this moment, she was afraid, frightened even. But facing the consequences of the decision she'd made years earlier, she felt at peace. There it was. No more waiting for the end. No more fear of hurting Jamie or someone else. No more. 

She dived in, instinctively holding her breath, even though she realized she'd never surface. Her body, just as her soul belonged to the lake. She was one with it. 

Dani let go of everything, only keeping one face, one memory in front of her eyes. The day she proposed to Jamie. The day when their lives became intertwined forever. The day she realized it didn't matter how much she had left because she was with Jamie and every second needed to be cherished. 

The oxygen in her lungs eventually ended. She started struggling, her instincts kicking in, but Viola didn't let her surface. She kept her in place, sharing the experience with her, making it less painful. A moment passed and Dani saw only darkness. She didn't feel. She didn't hear. She didn't exist. 

It lasted for a second. Or maybe for an hour or a day. It was hard to tell, time was just a concept, not something she could feel. But when she opened her eyes, her body, lifeless and painstakingly still, was at the bottom of the lake, staring onto the moon above the surface. She followed its' gaze and let out a long breath before moving towards it. 

Viola was now almost absent, but she remembered the feeling of emptiness when she first encountered her. The lack of identity. Without another thought, she closed her eyes, trying to tuck herself into her favorite memory. She needed to appreciate it while she could. 

***

A cry startled her.

She had no idea how much time had passed, but when she opened her eyes, she felt her heart sink.

Jamie came for her. 

Jamie, _her_ Jamie, jumped into the icy water, fully clothed, probably having left as soon as she'd found the note because she wanted to be with her, even if it meant at the bottom of a lake. 

Even if it meant death. 

Viola reignited in her mind. Encouraging her to go for the kill, to be with her lover. But Dani didn't move a muscle. Didn't even think about it. Instead, she brokenheartedly listened to Jamie's desperate cries, stifled by the lake to mere whispers. Her wife begged, wailed, and thrashed around in the water, reaching out for her but never quite touching.

Dani stared frightened at the relentlessness of the gardener, afraid the woman would drown without her help when Jamie started swimming up, eventually surfacing and taking in big gulps of air. Dani breathed with her, feeling relief flood her and let a broken smile appear on her lips. 

Jamie was strong. She was going to be fine. And most importantly, she would never be alone. Death was not going to do them apart. 


	2. The miracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When making her choice, Dani wasn't expecting it to be reversible.

The days slowly became a blur, consisting only of sleeping, waking, and walking. Dani didn't know how long the periods of time between those activities were, but one thing didn't sit right with her.

She wasn't losing her memories. However long it has been since she drowned to return the Lady of the Lake to her home, her past still accompanied her. There were no lapses, no empty spaces in her mind.

Dani didn't understand why. She realized that Viola lost herself completely during her time as the Lady of the Lake, slowly but surely forgetting her past. Was she at her place too short? How long would it take a person to completely lose her identity? She didn't want to think about it.

So, every time she woke, she got out of the lake and wandered around the Bly manor grounds, rarely entering it. She didn't feel the pull to let herself into the house. Instead, she chose to walk around the garden, the greenhouse, embracing all the life before she once again had to succumb to the empty and dark lake. The plants and trees reminded her of the time she was free, at least partly. And obviously, they evoked her memories of Jamie. 

The ex-gardener of the manor was in her mind all the time. Dani dreamed about her when she slept and thought about her when she woke. She replayed all their moments, making them the only thing keeping her sane during her tedious existence. 

Viola didn't understand. Human emotions were foreign to her, something she had long forgotten, but her time with Dani showed her their general idea. Still, she couldn't see the point in looking back to someone she could never see again. She knew it brought Dani pain and happiness at the same time, and she furiously tried to understand how. But she came up with nothing, instead, she started feeling guilty.

Guilty of ripping away a young, happy woman from her life with her lover. Viola didn't know happiness from her own experience but feeling Dani's despair and pure agony of not being able to be with her wife as opposed to the pure bliss she felt when living with Jamie, was enough of an example. And so Viola felt something other than anger for the first time in almost five centuries. Guilt. 

And that one emotion led to others. Her memories unlocked. The betrayal of her own sister, the frightened look on her husband's face, her daughter's smile. Her past didn't disappear, it wasn't taken away by time. It was locked, chained in the depths of her mind and the only key was feeling again. 

Dani was shocked when she suddenly started seeing somebody else's life as her own. Used to being alone, Viola just a mindless animal at the back of her head, ready to kill, it startled her when she managed to see the Lady of the Lake as a human being. A human being, whose fate was simply unfair. Who didn't feel enough love so she decided to stay, desperately clinging to her home in hopes to see her daughter one last time. Dani felt for her. 

After two days of recollecting her memories and past, Viola made contact with her. 

Dani fell asleep, as she was used to- at the bottom of the lake, in the dark. But instead of reliving one of her moments with Jamie, she opened her eyes to see an old-looking room and a young, beautiful woman in front of her. Viola, she realized.

"Hello," the woman said, glancing at her curiously. "It is a pleasure to actually meet you, Danielle." the blonde stared, unable to find any words.

"Viola..." she finally whispered and the woman smiled.

"I understand if you have no actual will to talk to me. I am the reason for your misery." Dani cleaned her throat, shaking her head.

"I know you've been hurt. It's not your fault," it was Viola's time to be speechless. She gaped at the woman in front of her, her eyes wide open.

"How do you do it?" she asked, surprising Dani. "I took you away from your love, I made you give up your life for a mere existence at the bottom of a lake. How are you still able to forgive me?"

"It was my choice," stated Dani, shrugging as if it meant nothing. "I gave it all up for Flora. I had to."

"If it weren't for me you wouldn't have to make a choice," Viola stressed and Dani looked at her with a small smile.

"It seems like you want me to be angry with you..." the brunette sighed, sitting down on the bed, looking positively exhausted. 

"My entire time as the Lady of the Lake, anger was my only tether to the manor. I was angry at my sister for murdering me, at my husband for falling in love with her, at my daughter for being afraid of me. I didn't see it, but my anger was what caused all this," Dani sat next to her, quiet and unmoving, listening to her every word. She's lived with that woman in her mind for more than a decade. Actually getting to know her story was more than fascinating for her. "When you invited me in, I took the opportunity mindlessly, hoping for some kind of relief from my anger. It did not come. I saw you happy, despite everything and I didn't understand how that could be while you have been through so much. I was on the brink of figuring it out when the lake's calls became harder to ignore and I had to return. I pushed you to almost kill your lover, knowing it would make you decide immediately. And then I was back at the bottom of that dreadful lake. But I wasn't alone."

Viola grew quiet and looked at her, an expression of guilt evident on her face. 

"I dragged you down with me. Just as I dragged down my sister and all those other people. All that death... I let myself drown in it, treating it as the only moment in my life when I could feel..."

"I don't hold any grudge towards you," noticed Dani and Viola let out a dry laugh.

"I know and I still don't understand," and then, Dani realized something. If anger was the only factor holding Viola in place, what if she let it go? Could they both be free then? "I tried."

"Sorry?"

"I know what you're thinking. I tried not to be angry. To forgive all the people that wronged me, to find peace," Viola let out a long, tired breath. "I can't."

"Well, your memories just came back, now you know what exactly is the reason for the trap you're in. Can you not try once more?" Dani didn't want to sound hopeful, she really didn't. But she couldn't help it. There it was, a chance to get out of that lake, to find peace.

"You want to see her again, don't you?" she snapped her head back to Viola who was smiling at her. "You know, I thought I loved my husband and he loved me back with the purest form of love. But you and Jamie... it is the kind of bond that does not fade with time." Dani involuntarily grinned at the mention of her wife. "I am deeply sorry I have taken that away from you."

"I'm sure you can fix that. Let yourself and me go," she tried sounding as certain as she could. Hope was filling her heart at a rate that was frightening. "You could be with your daughter again, I'm sure you'd like that." Viola turned towards her with sadness so apparent in her eyes that Dani could barely look at her. She didn't know if it was because Viola's emotions were her own or if she simply felt sorry for the woman. 

"I would, wouldn't I? The question is whether she would like that. Seeing her mother and knowing she is a murderer," a lightbulb went off in Dani's head. She straightened her back, unconsciously leaning towards Viola.

"That's it," she said, nodding her head. "All the anger is not the issue, at the bottom of your heart, you've already let go of all the pain. You've already forgiven your family."

"Then why can't I leave?" the brunette seemed to be on the verge of crying. Dani mindlessly put her hand on Viola's and squeezed, looking into her eyes. 

"You need to let go of the fear of seeing them again."

The silence seemed to stretch out for eternity. Dani felt it filling the space between them, growing heavier with every second. Viola's emotions flew through her at a rapid pace. There was anger, caused by being called a coward, despair when she realized Dani was right, and finally quiet. That was when the brunette spoke in a small, resigned voice.

"I don't want to know what they might think about me."

"Precisely. You don't know that, maybe there is no reason to be afraid? They aren't exactly innocent as well. Your sister killed, your husband fell for her while you were still alive..."

"What about my daughter?" Dani thought for a second, not wanting to break the already fragile woman. Eventually, she spoke. 

"Your daughter loved you. You're her mother and you didn't do anything to wrong her. You've loved her for so many years. Don't you want to finally be with her?" Viola slowly nodded her head.

"It would be pleasant to see her again. How she'd grown, what her life was like. That is if I meet her," Dani knew the other woman has already made a decision. She felt it. "I don't want to keep living like that. It is not even a life." she looked at the blonde, a determined look in her eyes. "We cannot be cursed forever. I cannot be afraid and angry forever. I need to let go..."

"Okay, so do you know how or..." Dani's vision darkened before she could finish her sentence. 

***

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she felt was the hard ground underneath her back. It was muddy, clenching onto her wet clothes and making her shiver in cold.

_Cold_.

She didn't feel that in what seemed like ages. She sat up, wanting to get away from the unpleasant feeling when a pair of strong, warm hands pushed her back down. She frowned, staring at the unfamiliar face hovering above hers in confusion. 

"Ma'am, do not get up, you could be in shock," she just stared at the young man, unable to form a single thought. What was happening? 

She noticed water sliding off of the man's hair and face, his woolen turtleneck entirely soaked with it. His hands were warmer than hers but covered in droplets as if he had just come back from a swim. But the weather seemed inappropriate for water activities. The clouds were low on the sky, entirely covering the sun. It looked like it was about to start raining.

"Hey, stay awake! Do you remember what happened? How did you end up in that lake? Did somebody throw you in?" the questions confused her even more. She drowned in that lake. A while ago. There was no way she would've survived. "It's bloody freezing here, I'll take you to the house, we'll wait for a doctor there, okay?" 

A pair of arms enveloped her and a second later she was hoisted up into the air. The last time she was held like that was on her wedding anniversary when Jamie unexpectedly picked her up after entering their apartment and carried her to the bedroom.

"What's your name? The doctor said to keep you from dozing off."

"I'm... Dani. My name is Dani," she recollected, remembering how to speak. "I'm sorry, what happened?"

"You're American?" he sounded surprised by her accent but didn't comment any further. "Oh, right. Well, I was walking around the grounds when I saw you in the lake. Facedown, unmoving," he cringed at the memory. "I jumped in and got you out. Scariest moment of my life but after CPR you thankfully started breathing. Then I called the doctor." 

He seemed genuinely relieved by the fact she was okay but Dani paid little mind to it. Instead, she turned to look at his face.

"And who are you?"

"Oh, em, I'm the gardener here. At the Bly manor," Dani almost laughed at that. Fate was a wicked thing. "So, what is an American doing in Bly?"

"Drowning in lakes, apparently," he laughed, she guessed more from politeness than from anything. But her mind was elsewhere. Jamie. She could go back to Jamie. She had absolutely no idea how she was alive but she also didn't care. 

Then, a dreadful thought appeared in her mind.

"I'm sorry, it might sound dumb but... what year is it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I physically couldn't bring myself to end the story the way it did, I needed to change it for my own sake, because well, they deserved better. I hope you liked it.  
> ~Wefwar


	3. You keep me grounded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani tries to understand the situation and figure out her next move as she longs for Jamie.

The man looked at her dumbfounded, not sure whether she was joking or asking a serious question. They reached the heavy door leading into the manor and he opened them with his elbow, pushing with all his might to open them just enough to slip inside. 

Much more pleasant warmth than a stranger's arms enveloped her as they entered the house. Dani looked around, momentarily forgetting her own question. It didn't change much, especially since her mind still remembered all the horrors that went down in the manor and didn't restrain from reminding her with every step the man holding her took. 

"I'll take you to the kitchen, okay? Give you a nice cuppa, maybe it'll warm you up," his voice startled her, ripping her away from her past in a swift move. 

"You didn't answer my question," she noticed, looking at him with a frown. "What year is it?"

"It's... are you sure you're okay? I mean, not remembering the year..."

"I'm perfectly splendid, just this one detail is missing," she answered quickly, mentally restraining herself from shaking the man to make him talk. He stared at her, doubtful of her assurance about her state. 

They reached the kitchen, which also didn't change much, except for modern equipment. Dani looked at it, noticing it wasn't much different from the one she used in her own kitchen before sacrificing herself. The man (she should probably ask him for his name), sat her down in a chair and moved back, surveying her carefully. Dani stared right back, not missing a beat. She just wanted to know how much time she spent at the bottom of the lake. Who would've thought it was so damn hard to find out what the year was. 

"Well, the year is 2003," her heart stopped. Three years. She lost three years to that lake, she'd been _dead_ for three years. 

She didn't know whether she felt more relieved or confused. Three years wasn't too long, especially since she'd expected to never leave that lake. But she was dead. How was she able to walk around? Was she like Peter and Rebbeca? Like Hannah? Trapped at the manor instead of the lake? She wouldn't consider it much of an improvement. 

Fear started clawing at her heart. What if the doctor came to examine her and her heartbeat was non-existent? She couldn't let that happen.

A phone called and she jumped up, automatically placing her hand on her chest. 

And then she felt it. 

Her heart was beating. Abnormally fast, which was normal considering she'd just been startled, but it was beating. She was alive.

"I took her to the house. She seems to be fine but she didn't know what the year is. Yes, we're in the kitchen. Thank you, doctor," the man put the phone back in his pocket and looked at her with a kind smile. "The doctor will be here in a minute. In the meantime, why won't you drink that? It'll warm you up at least a bit."

She wordlessly took the cup from his hands and marveled at the warmth radiating from it. Lifting it to her mouth, she took an experimental sip and when it reached her throat, she felt her stomach rumble loudly. She was hungry, another sensation she hadn't felt in three years. 

"Good morning," her head snapped up, looking at the man entering the kitchen. 

"Good morning doctor," she greeted him kindly and he smiled at her.

"Well, you seem fine for somebody who almost drowned," he noticed, approaching her and looking at the gardener. "You can leave us, go and change. If you find some clothes fit for..." he looked at her with his brows raised.

"Dani," she helped him. 

"For Dani, bring them, we can't let her walk around like this," the young man nodded and left. Dani saw his respect for the doctor like his word was the law. She wondered whether it came from a good upbringing or some past events. "So, how are we feeling?"

"Good," the answer was automatic and the doctor seemed to know it. He tilted his head, studying her carefully. "Really, I feel fine all things considered."

"You're American?" she rolled her eyes. Why was that the most interesting part about her?

"Yes, I am." 

"How does an American end up in a lake at Bly?"

"I used to work here. As an au-pair," she decided not to lie about that part. Bly was such a small place that people probably still remembered that the manor at some point belonged to the Wingrave family and that she worked for them. "It was a while back. I lately started feeling nostalgic and wanted to visit Bly again. I guess I must've tripped when I was walking around the lake. I'm clumsy that way," she smiled at him, trying to make the story as believable as possible.

"An au-pair from America... you must be Dani Clayton, right?" she nodded, wondering how after sixteen years she was still remembered at Bly, while she tried so hard to forget it. "My father told me about you. He was a doctor as well, treated the young girl that lived here. He said you seemed so worried about her, she could've been your child."

"It felt like that sometimes," she admitted, remembering when she without a second thought jumped into the lake to save Flora. 

"Well, you seem perfectly fine. No concussion, slurred speech, or zoning out. I'm just going to examine you briefly and you'll be free to go. I'm sure the gardener won't try and call the police for trespassing," it didn't even occur to her that she could be arrested for breaking the law. The amount of information she needed to assimilate with was overwhelming and being arrested was not her dream at the moment. "Don't worry, I know Tom, he would never, especially since you didn't even try to enter the manor."

She smiled at the doctor, feeling a little bit reassured, and let him perform simple tests. He checked her pupils, asked a few more questions, and after inspecting her for any other injuries, he smiled at her, looking relieved. 

"You are in perfect health. A change of clothes, finishing your tea, and taking things slow should be enough to make you feel better. If, however, you started feeling dizzy or extremely tired, do not hesitate to call." she decided not to tell him she didn't intend to stay at the manor a second longer. 

"I will," she promised instead and the doctor gave her another warm smile. Tom entered the kitchen, water no longer dripping off of him, a bundle of clothes in his hand.

"That's the only thing I could find that might fit you," he said, handing her the clothes. She thanked him curtly, for the first time focusing on the way her dress clung to her skin and on the shivers running down her spine. "I'll show you to the bathroom?"

"I'm certain Dani knows where it is," the doctor looked at her, his eyes telling her she could leave and change in peace.

She took the opportunity to be alone for at least a few minutes and took off, practically running towards the bathroom. In the distance, she could hear Tom's confused voice asking how she could possibly know the layout of the house. 

When she finally reached the right door, she stopped dead in her tracks, afraid of walking in. What would she see in the mirror? Her own face or Viola's? 

She forced her breathing to slow down and momentarily closed her eyes. She didn't know what was happening, how she survived, and what happened to Viola who was no longer present in her mind, but she couldn't panic. She needed to put on the dry clothes, go back to the kitchen, thank Tom for saving her life, and leave. Find Jamie.

Her thoughts immediately flew to how a single word and a joke from Jamie was enough to calm her nerves. How she always knew what was the right thing to say and she became even more hellbent on finding her. 

Even _thinking_ of her wife calmed her down. And what she needed was to think rationally. For _her_. 

"Okay, let's do this," she whispered to herself and walked into the bathroom. The mirror was to her left, she knew it because the room looked exactly the same as the last time she stepped foot in it. Slowly, she turned towards it, fearful of what she would see.

And then, there was a pair of bright, blue eyes, staring back at her. Not even a drop of brown in them. 

Relief crashed down on her, as she stepped closer to the mirror, inspecting her features. She didn't age a day during her time in the lake, if anything, she looked younger, freed from fear and anxiety. 

She started stripping at a rapid pace, anxious to leave the manor. In the bundle Tom gave her, she found a simple, red towel and after drying herself briefly, she put on the clothes.

Casual, blue jeans and a hoodie were slightly too big for her, but she didn't pay much attention to it. She slipped them on, checking herself one last time in the mirror to make sure Viola wouldn't appear instead of her, and she exited the bathroom.

As she approached the kitchen, she heard Tom and the doctor talking in hushed voices.

"It's weird, I was walking around the grounds for the entire day, I would've noticed if someone entered them. It's like she appeared out of nowhere," Tom sounded confused and Dani didn't blame here. She _did_ appear out of nowhere, at least for him.

"There are many ways to enter the grounds, you of all people should know that," the doctor noticed. "If she used to work here, she probably knows a few of them."

Dani didn't give Tom a chance to answer. She walked into to kitchen, flashing both men a small smile.

"How are we feeling?" the doctor asked with genuine concern in his voice.

"Really good. In fact, I won't bother you anymore. I'll be on my way," Tom looked at her with surprise.

"You want to walk to Bly?" she didn't think about it. Her belongings were probably at the bottom of the lake, and she knew there was no way of retrieving them. She didn't have her wallet, which meant no documents or cash.

"I'll drive her," proposed the doctor. "I'm going back anyway. Do you have anyone in Bly?"

"Not really, but I'll figure something out," she tried to sound confident, but from the look on both men's faces, she figured she wasn't very successful. She was alone, without any funds and clue what to search for. She didn't know where Jamie lived, whether she decided to stay at their apartment or not, she could've moved back to England, changed her number, anything really. She felt lost but it was not going to stop her. 

She got a second chance and losing it was not an option. She was going to find her love and be happy again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you guys are waiting for them to reunite and I promise they will in the next chapter. Thank you for all the kind words and comments, they are really motivating!   
> ~Wefwar


	4. The happy ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dani already knew to expect the unexpected but this still catches her by surprise.

"So, what are you gonna do now?" the doctor broke the quiet that had been filling the car for the past five minutes and looked at her briefly. 

Dani couldn't answer his question honestly. She had no idea what her next move should be. She was still waiting for some kind of inspiration to strike.

"I'm sorry if I'm being intrusive," she mustered a smile and shook her head, trying to make the man feel better. 

"No, it's not that. I'm just... not sure what to do next. I lost my bag somewhere in the lake, probably and that means I don't have a single penny on me," she let out a long breath, trying hard not to give up hope. She was alive, she was okay. The only thing left was finding Jamie. Then, everything was going to be normal again.

"Well, do you have anyone to contact?"

"Not really. I mean, my entire family is in America, I don't even know their numbers..." the doctor seemed to think hard for a while, appearing to be even more concerned about her than she was. 

"Well, people in Bly usually stay there or come back. Maybe, someone, you know from your time as an au-pair could help?" Dani started searching her mind for anybody from the small town that could possibly still remember her. There were a few people that she knew were still in Bly, but she doubted they would even know who she was, let alone help her. 

Then, she stumbled upon an idea that seemed so obvious she felt dumb for not thinking of it first. 

Jamie's brother moved to Bly two years before she sacrificed herself. He wanted to be a writer, and the boring town was supposed to be a setting for a novel he wanted to publish. Maybe he hadn't left yet and still occupied Jamie's old flat above the only pub in Bly.

"Well, I think I do know one person," at least she believed so. Denny was her last hope.

***

A few minutes later, after assuring the doctor she did have a plan, and she knew exactly what she was doing, she stepped out of the car in the middle of the small town. After the man drove away, she turned around, not surprised that the place didn't change a bit. Everything seemed to have frozen at a certain point and refused to develop at any level. It was quite comforting, Dani had to admit.

She hurriedly picked the shortest route to the flat where Denny supposedly still lived and started walking as fast as seemed normal. Her heartbeat quickened with every step she took, and she knew it wasn't from the exercise. Dani was anxious to reach her goal. If her theory proved wrong and Denny no longer lived at the flat, she had absolutely nowhere else to go. No other option. She'd survived laying at the bottom of a lake for three years and being possessed, and she'd be defeated by lack of money. 

It was an appalling perspective.

Dani reached the pub in less than two minutes, slightly breathless and scared. She focused on not looking as if she'd been dead not so long ago and walked to the door covered in light-brown paint. Hesitation showed in her heart, but she didn't let it overrule her. She drew in a long breath, something she found herself doing quite often during the past hour, and knocked on the door. 

She counted down the seconds, waiting for someone to open. She got to thirty when the lock turned, and the hinges creaked. 

And then, standing at the threshold was the person she least expected but wanted to see most of all.

Jamie.

Her wife was standing at the entrance, dumbfounded and really pale, with her hand still on the doorknob.

"I bloody knew it," she finally whispered, still not moving a muscle. Her green eyes were moving over Dani's body as if wanting to assess whether she was real. 

But Dani didn't have time for that. She pushed down her own surprise and questions about what Jamie was even doing in Bly. She let go of all the insecurities, all the various scenarios where she couldn't get to her, where Jamie was long gone, and she shot forward, grabbing her wife's face and pressing their lips together. 

It was like muscle memory. Their bodies reacted instinctively when they were around each other. They didn't need to think, they just felt, and it was enough. Dani cradled Jamie's face in her hands, afraid to let go as she felt the brunette's palm on her body, touching every inch of her, probably making sure she was real. And she was. She was real, she was there, and she was never leaving again. 

Eventually, they moved slightly back, gasping in big gulps of air and sharing long looks. Their foreheads' rested together as they breathed in sync, dopey smiles on both their faces. She saw Jamie's eyes searching hers for the foreign brown, which had been their constant reminder of the doom hovering over their marriage. But there was none. They were no longer cursed. 

"Let me inside?" Dani finally said, and Jamie stared at her as if not fully understanding her words. After a few seconds, she finally let go of the blonde and stepped aside to let her in, not taking her eyes off of her, afraid she would disappear again. The door locked behind them, and then Jamie's voice broke the heavy silence.

"Ya know, I never lost hope you'd come back, Poppins." Dani melted at the nickname, aching for her wife. She realized how painful it must've been for Jamie. Waking up to know she'd left without a proper goodbye, lying to everyone about what happened to her while dealing with her own grief. It seemed much worse than what she endured, and she hated herself for putting the love of her life in that position. "I left the door open every night, looked into every bloody reflective surface I could find, just to see you."

"I'm here now," she ensured, once again closing the gap between them. The kiss was much more tender than before, expressing the pure bliss that being together was for them. "I'm not sure how, but I'm here," she whispered after they parted, and Jamie smiled, brushing her thumb over Dani's cheek.

"I don't care. I'm never letting you go ever again," she promised, her voice thick with emotions. Dani felt guilt gnawing at her insides.

"I'm so sorry..."

"Don't, Dani," Jamie stopped her, gently shaking her head. "I'm not mad at ya. I don't have a reason to be."

"But I left you. Didn't even properly say goodbye, just  _ left _ ," she didn't understand. How come Jamie didn't even slightly despise her for what she had done? Shouldn't she be at least a bit angry with her?

"Poppins... one day at a time. That's what we agreed for, right?" Dani nodded her head. "And I remembered it. I remembered it when we were perfectly fine and when you started seeing her again. I knew that at some point... you'd have to leave." her voice shook at the end, almost breaking. Dani pulled the love of her life into her arms and pressed a kiss to her hair. 

"It didn't stop you from almost drowning in the lake with me," she muttered, trying not to sound too accusing. Jamie moved back from her, her eyes full of surprise.

"You saw me?"

"Saw and heard," she admitted, remembering Jamie's agonizing screams as she begged her to take her life. "You scared me there for a second. I thought you wouldn't surface, and I couldn't help you. I was petrified that you would drown." Jamie was staring at her with a mysterious expression on her face. She spoke after a few seconds of silence.

"I did think about it for a while," she confessed, biting her lip. "After I came back to an empty apartment. I wanted to join you."

"No..." Dani whispered, automatically reaching for her lover. Jamie took her hand and smiled with sadness evident in her eyes.

"Yea. Owen helped me a lot. I dunno what would be if he weren't so stubborn, not letting me out of his sight for the first month," Dani made a mental note to thank their mutual friend for the effort. "He moved to the USA for a while, just to keep an eye on me."

"I..."

"Don't apologize again, love. It had been done. You can't erase the memories," Jamie's voice was soft, but it trembled as she spoke. Dani ran her hand through her wife's hair and let it rest on her shoulder, squeezing it lightly.

"Then, I'm going to have to make you new ones," it sounded like a promise, and that was exactly how she meant it. "We're gonna be so happy now. You have no idea." 

"I've missed you so much," their lips connected again, as Jamie dragged her further into the flat, steering them into the bedroom. Dani, as much as she enjoyed the warmth that Jamie's lips and hands on her provided, had to use every last ounce of self-control, to pull away. Jamie let out a dissatisfied sigh and tried to chase her lips, but Dani's hands stopped her.

"We'll get right back to that, but first, I need to know. What are you even doing in Bly?" Jamie rolled her eyes, clearly irritated by her wife's will to  _ talk _ of all things they could be doing. 

"I had a dream, much like the one I had with Owen when you saved Flora. It was so realistic I had to check it out."

"And, Denny?"

"He still lives here, says his book is going to be a bestseller. He just had to go to London today to check some publishing agency," Jamie grabbed her wrists and pushed her against the wall, making Dani let out a surprised yelp. Her back hit the hard surface, and she was trapped between her wife's warm body and the cold wall. 

The pure desire visible in Jamie's eyes sent a shiver down Dani's spine. She missed that feeling. Missed knowing she was wanted. Missed  _ Jamie _ . 

She let herself go, pure instinct taking over her actions, effortlessly steering her just the way she knew Jamie wanted. 

***

A few hours later, Dani woke for the first time in three years without the water surrounding her. Enveloped in Jamie's arms, as the brunette held onto her for dear life, Dani felt at peace. The warmth of another body next to her, the coziness of the sheets, and the pleasant ache present in her every fiber were all so familiar it felt as if she had never left. 

Jamie stirred behind her, burying her face further into Dani's hair and pulling the woman even closer. 

"Hello," Dani smiled as heat spread across her body from the place where Jamie's lips touched her ear. "Thank fuck it wasn't another dream."

Dani turned around in the embrace, not losing the grin once. 

"Been dreaming about me a lot?"

"Oh, ya know, only every night," Jamie stated, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Still wasn't enough for me, though."

"I can relate. I spent every second thinking about you, and still, it wasn't even remotely enough. I wanted to see you for real, not just a memory of you," Jamie fell quiet for a second, visibly thinking about it. Dani took a moment to appreciate the small wrinkles visible on her lover's face. They were there when she left but not as visible. The brunette was still beautiful, though. Even more so. She was radiant. 

"How are you here? I know I said I didn't care, but... it's not some kind of a short deal, right? You won't have to come back?" Dani felt fear creep inside of her at the mere thought of having to leave again. She shook her head quickly.

"No, I'm not going anywhere," she ensured the woman. "Viola... she just let go of me. She decided it was time to move on, and she did."

"And you?"

"I have no idea. I drowned. At least I think. I don't remember much from that night," she shuddered at the thought of the cold water pooling around her, soaking through her clothes. She remembered entering the lake and walking. After that, it was blank until Jamie's screams. 

"Well, if you don't have to go back, that's enough for me. We have so many more years..."

And they did. They really did. 

**FOUR YEARS LATER**

"I love how overdramatic you are," Jamie entered the hotel room and smiled at her wife, standing with a suitcase in her hand. 

"Am I?"

"Telling that story at a wedding?  _ Flora's _ wedding?"

"It _is_ a good story," Jamie said protectively, closing the door behind her. Dani shook her head, dropping the bag and approaching her. 

"It is, but maybe not for a wedding?"

"It was a lesson, sneakily hidden in the greatest romance to ever exist," Dani laughed, placing her hands on Jamie's hips and pulling her close.

"Is that what we're calling it now? And what lesson could it possibly be? Don't come near any lakes?"

"Yes, it is what we're calling it now and no. The lesson is- love is endless," Dani scrunched her nose, leaning in for a kiss. "What? Don't like it?" 

"I would probably find a better lesson, but whatever," she tried to reconnect their lips when Jamie took a step back, crossing her arms. 

"Is that so? A shame you weren't here to tell it then," Dani smirked, fully knowing that her wife was just messing with her.

"Well, since I am here now, why won't I make it up to you?" she offered, taking Jamie's hand and pulling her towards the bedroom. 

"We need to wake up early tomorrow," the brunette noted, not even thinking about stopping her wife.

"Well, we might as well not sleep at all then, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! The ending has come and I'm very thankful for everyone who joined me on this short journey. Thank you all for commenting and leaving kudos! Love you!  
> ~Wefwar

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, I'm still shocked about the ending but needed to write this. I hope you like it! Let me know if a second part about Dani after becoming the Lady of the Lake would interest you!  
> ~Wefwar


End file.
